Here’s A Realistic List Of All The Things New Yorkers Are More Afraid Of Than ISIS And A Terrorist Attack

On Saturday night, when a terrorist’s bomb exploded on 23rd street, I was strolling around my block in Manhattan’s East Village, making small talk with neighbors and friendly faces I’ve become acquainted with in my eight years of calling the East Village home. I just picked up chips and salsa for a snack at Westside Market on Third Avenue. On my way home, I took this video of a group of Bros bro-ing hard to bagpipes at Durden on Second Avenue for the BroBible Snapchat.

Earlier in the day, one of my favorite blocks in the city — 9th street between 1st and Avenue A — had a block party. It wasn’t one of those cheesy block parties that close down Avenues in NYC, either — The city closed down the street so residents could stroll past mom-and-pop antique booths and artisans selling handmade jewelry and t-shirts. Restaurants on the block sold free food. Down by First Avenue, across from Whitman’s Burgers, a band of 50-year-old men with ponytails and tattered jeans played The Allman Brothers. It was a perfect New York City moment on a perfect New York City afternoon, inspiring a tweet like this:

A post shared by BroBible.com (@brobible) on Sep 17, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT

I texted all the people that matter outside NYC that I’m fine, then went out and ate pizza when things started to settle down, finishing the night at a friend’s birthday party at a bar.

Terrorism is scary, but what’s the point in living life in fear of it? Terrorism is something we, as citizens, should be vigilant about, not fear to the point of altering our lives over. After suspected bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami was caught yesterday, New York-based writer Robert Wheeler started listing off all the things that are more scary to a New Yorker than terrorism. There’s a lot of resounding truth to his tweets, which are more realistic fears to New Yorkers like myself than some jack-hole terrorist trying to harsh everyone’s mellow.

I am straight terrified of any trip to Times Square that doesn’t also involve a trip to Chevys. Their chili con queso is just too good to not have if you have any reason to be around the hell-hole that is 42nd street.